Lockheed Martin Inflates F-35 Jobs Claims, Nonprofit Says

bloomberg.com

“Lockheed Martin Corp. (LMT) has “greatly exaggerated” the number of U.S. jobs generated by the F-35 fighter jet, the Pentagon’s costliest weapons program, according to a new report from a nonprofit research group.

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“The report also compiles the state and international breadth of the F-35 contractor base, listing domestic and overseas companies. It says that Italy, Australia and Turkey, three of the top international partners buying the aircraft, have 31, 27 and 10 companies, respectively, working on the F-35, according to the report.

“It also tallies campaign contributions to key lawmakers from Lockheed Martin and its top subcontractors during the 2011-2012 and 2013-2014 election cycles. About $1.7 million has been contributed to F-35 Caucus members, according to the report. “